The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-02-04
SENATOR porr's RArunoAp BILL.

Senator Pope introduced very Inn
portant measure relating TO discrimina-
ton Of passenger rates by railroads. II
fixes the rate at two and one-half cents
per mile fer transportation Of passengers
in first-class cars for any distance of ten
miles or over. A higher rate Is prohi-
bited. Granting Of passes or reducing OF
rates TO State officers or Legislators is al
30 prohibited; as is also pooling by roads.
NO rebates shall be given to any per-
son under any circumstances. No rail-
road company shall charge, in the aggre-
gate, more for hauling freight shorter
than a longer distance. and shall not
charge more per ton per mile for longer
than shorter distance over the same
line. Any railroad shall carry freight OF
all classes from any station upon its line
to all points at rates based upon a CLASH
fication schedule and mileage distance
tariff, which shall be equal and reason
able, and which shall be applicable to
all all its traffic TO and from every sta
ton upon its line. If fanny railroad shall
make rate, or enter into any combina-
ton to make a rate per ton per mile,
from any points outside the State to q
station on its own line, or from any sta
ton on its own line to any point outside
the State, such through rate shall be
made the basis for rate per ton per
mile over that part of its line within the
State. Provided, that If this provision
shall hereafter be held to be in excess
of legislative power, invalid or inoper-
alive, other parts of the act shall not be
affected. Schedules of freight and pas
senger rates shall be kept posted In all
depots, and rate sheets shall be furn.
ished to any shipper. All changes in
tiarffs shall be published in the same
way. The penalties for violation of any
of the provisions shall be not less than
5000 nor more than $4,000 for the first
offense; and not less than $4,000 nor
more than $4,000 for each subsequent
offense. The bill provides for the APP
pointment of board of railroad com
missioners as now provided by law, anC
give them power to act singly in any
part of the State in the performance OF
their duties. The district court of any
county shall always be considered il
session to try any case arising from VIC
lstion of the law coming before it.
The bill was ordered printed and re-
ferred to the railroad committee.
PASSED A RAILROAD BILL.
The House went into long debate
Tuesday over the Donnelly bill amend
ing article 10 of the constitution by ad
ding to it new section relating to tn,
control and taxation of railroads. Tn.
bill was recommended to pass in the
committee. of the whole, though not be
fore it had been materially amended by
Messrs. Potter. Gregory, Powers, Keyel
and others. The essential amendment
adopted were:
To section 8: ''That the tax upon the
gross annual earnings shall not be less
than per cent" To section7: "When
ever any railroad corporation in thi,
State ceases to own and operate a rall
road it shall cease to exist as q (railroaC
stricken QUIT corporation; land this add
ed) nor shall any railroad charge any
person more for the same class AND
amount of service than ischarged to any
other person for similar service
Donnelly's argument for the bill was 8
very able and conservative effort. The
main feature of this bill is, of course, iti
purpose to tax the land grants of rail
roads as other property is taxed, and tc
prevent railroad corporations from goinf
outside of their legitimate field to mon,
opolize other industries. He spoke al
together for two hours, defending, BY
constitutional law and the citation from
innumerable famous authorities of points
in his favor, the sovereign right of &
State to tax these grants and to restric
railroad corporations by all just means
In this line of his argument he was mo-
controyerted, nor even an attempt made
TO reply 10 him. The gentlemen who
amended the bill did 80 TO perfect its
technical strength and nothing more.
BAD FOR FAT BERTHs.
The Senate went into the business o.
smashing fat offices Tuesday with ven
geance. Wr. Wards bill to abolish the
Office of oil inspector, and Mr.. Halyor
sons bill abolishing the State board o.
immigration were both passed 30 quick
~ that it almost took away the breath o.
certain Interested parties who were
watching the proceedings. The vote wal
largely in favor of abolishing the offices
and not word of opposition was raised
In debate. Mr.. Willis, the newly ap
pointed oil inspector, was an interested
spectator, and when the vote was takeI
went over to the house to announce the
result to his friends there. He seems
to be confident that the bill will not pass
the House, but many of the Senators say
it will go through without much OPPOSE
ton.
STATE PRINTER.
Mr.. Newell's bill introduced in the
House Tuesday says that after the pres.
ent contracts expire the State shall es.
tablish public printing Office in which
ali State printing shall be done. The
governor is given the power to appoint
Q superintendent of public printing,
whose salary is to be 1850 per annum,
and who Is to be under bond of Sc, 900,
and who shall be practical printer and
shall have no interest in any book, job
or newspaper Office. His term of office
is to be two years, and he may be eligi-
BILE for reappointment. He is given the
employment of the clerical force and
the fixing of their compensation. The
following sums are to be appropriated
for the department: $25, 900 for the plant;
renting rooms, etc., 5000; payment Of
employees, $4,000; clerk and Office boy,
1000; contingent fund. $500.
WHEN the Associated Press, a few days
ago, briefly narrated the circumstance OF
two men having been shot and killed
near White Plains, N. Y, by sheriff
and his posse, for resisting arrest after
having murdered q young man in store
at that place, no one who read 1t could
have suspected the real nature Of the
curious adventure which led up to the
triple tragedy, In the New York Sun
there is history of the affair almost sur,
passing fiction IN the unaccouptableness